Refrigerating apparatus



April 27, 1937. R. TWEEDALE I REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 14, 1932 April 27, 1937. R. TWEEDALE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 14, 1932 provided an external circuit for the refrigerator to be metered which is controlled by the ,main switch contacts 58 and an independent internal circuit for the electro-magnet 52 which is controlled by both the contacts 58 and the, contacts I2.

In operation, one or more coins are inserted in the chute 80, the first coin dropping as far as the lug 88 and forcing the insulating piece Ill outwardly to close the contacts 12. Assuming that the timing period initiated by any previously inserted coin has expired, the arm 24 will have rotated arm 32 on its pivot to the position in which the insulating piece 40 has closed contact 56 and opened contact 58. In this position of the device the electric circuit from the main line is completed to the terminal 98 and through the termina! 14, contacts 56, magnet 52 to terminal 98.

Therefore, when contacts" are now closed by the first coin dropped into the chute the magnet 52 will be energized and armature 80 will be attracted. This will raise the right hand end of arm 33 carrying the arm 32 to such a height that the nose 38 of arm 32 will be raised above arm 24 so that the spring 38 can rotate arm 22 counterclockwise to a position in which the nose 88 will lie slightly to the right ofarm 24. This rotation of arm 32 by spring 36 lowers the contact arm l4 sumciently to open contact 88 and close contact 68 even though the pivot of arm 32 be slightly raised at that moment due to the attraction of armature 5d. Opening'of contacts 56 and closing of contacts 58 completes an electric circuit connected to the motor 86 and switch it and if the switch 18 is closed, motor Eli! will be caused to operate. As soon as contact 56 opens, the circuit to the magnet 52 is broken and the armature is released, thus permitting the nose 38 of arm 32 to drop down into the path of arm 24 in its next rotation, it being understood that arm'24 rotates counter-clockwise. When armature BI is attracted the arm 64 is moved slightly to the right in Fig. 1 so that the lug 68 is withdrawn from support of the coin 82 and the lug 88 is projected into the coin chute to stop the fall of the next coin should there be another one in the chute. When the armature 50 is deenergized by the opening of the contact 56 (or by the opening of the contacts 72 due to the falling of coin 62, these two actions taking place practically simultaneously) the arm 64 moves back to the position shown in Fig. 1, withdrawing the lug 86 from underneath the upper coin and permitting it to drop down onto the lug 68 thus forcing the contacts I2 to close again. Closure of contacts I2 by the second coin, however, will not cause another actuation of magnet 52 at this time because contacts 56 are open. When the clock work has rotated gear 22 and with it the arm 24 for twenty-four hours, arm 24 again engages the nose 3!! of arm 22 and raises spring contact 54. closes contacts 56 and opens contacts 58 to break the electric circuit leading to the motor 44 through switch 18. If there is a coin lying on' the lug 68 in the coin chute l8 and contacts I2 are Upward movement of spring 54 again i 2,070,429 closed by engagement of the coin with piece 10 the armature ill will be immediately attracted and the operation of the device for controlling the completion of the electric circuit to motor 80 and switch I8 will repeat automatically for as many periods as there are coins in the chute. when all the coins are used up, the insulating piece 10 is moved into the coin chute 60 by action of the spring arms upon which contacts 12 are mounted, thus separating the contacts I2 and in terrupting the circuit through the magnet 52.

. At the expiration of the predetermined period of time, the arm 24 will engage nose 38 and move arm 32 and cause insulating lug 40 to move upwardly-to separate contacts 58, thus breaking the electric circuit through motor 80 and switch 18. This movement closes contacts 66 but armature 50 will not be attracted at this time due to the as another coin is inserted in chute 60 to move insulating piece Ill outwardly from the chute 60 to cause closing of contacts I2. In this position of the device, arm 24 will be held against rotation by the nose .28 of arm 32. The slip connection between arm 24 and plate 26, however; will not stop the clock mechanism but will permit the gear 22 to go on rotating independently of the blocking of arm 24 by the arm 32 of the device.

In case the device to be metered draws a large current it may be desirable to substitute a snap acting switch for the switch 54, 56, and- 58 which may take the form of any of the many examples of snap acting switches known in the art. Should it be desirable to use the same size and form of meter construction for use with many different devices to be metered, some of which are to be operated at different time rates from others, it is possible-to provide for various predetermined periods of time of operation either by changing the ratio of gears 20-22 or by using a series of members 24 having one, two, three, or more arms depending on the time period desired.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a coin controlled service metering mechanism which will give a predetermined period of service for each coin inserted in the device wherein a plurality of coins may be inserted at once, the mechanism feeding them down as required by the meter and one wherein the electricallydriven timing means is constantly running so that the meter also functions as a clock which is especially useful where the device is used to meter the service of an electric refrigerator, thus serving as a kitchen clock as well as a meter.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows: I

1. In a coin controlled electric time switch, a constantly running constant speed motor, a circuit controller movable between two positions, a rotary member for moving the circuit controller, a friction clutch driving the member from the constant speed motor, means for blocking rotation of the member, said friction clutch permitting the 'motor to run while the member is blocked, a coin chute, and automatic means responsive to the deposit of a coin in the chute for removing the blocking means from the path of the member.

2. In a coin controlled electric time switch, a

constantly running constant speed motona ciracreage cuit controller movable between two positions, a

rotary member for moving the circuit controller,

a friction clutch. driving the member from the constant speed motor, means for blocking rotation of the member, said friction clutch permitting the o motor to run while the member is blocked, a coin chute and means responsive to a coin in the chute for removing the blocking means from the path oi the member and for replacing the blocking means into the path oi the member at a point where the member will contact the blocking means only after mrther rotation.

3. In a coin controlled electric time switch, an I internal circuit, an external circuit, a circuit controller movable between two positions for simultaneously controlling the external circuit and the internal circuit, a coin chute, a coin operated circuit controller for conJointly controlling the internal circuit and-means including a'solenoid in the internal circuit for controlling the movement of coins in the chute.

4. In a coin controlled electric time switch, a constantly running constant speed motor, an internal circuit, an external circuit, a circuit controller movable between two positions for simultaneously controlling the external circuit and the internal circus. a coin operated circuit controller for coniointly controlling the internal circuit, a solenoid in the internal circuit, a timing member adapted to be at times driven by the motor, and a single means operated by the solenoid for moving the first circuit controller and for initiating movement of the timing member.

5. In a coin controlled electric time switch, a constantly running constant speed motor, an internal circuit, an external circuit, a. circuit controller movable between two positions for simultaneously controlling the external circuit and the internalcircuit, a coin operated circuit controller 4 for conjointly controlling the internal circuit, a

solenoid in the internal circuit, a timing member adapted to be at times driven by the motor, a coin chute for passing coins into operative relation with the coin operated circuit controller and a f 45 single means operated by the solenoid for moving the first circuit controller, for initiating movement of the timing member, and for contro the passage of coins through the chute.

6. In a coin controlled electric time switch, a

50 constantly running constant speed motor, an internal circuit, an external circuit, a circuit controller movable between two positions for simultaneously contmllingthe external circuit and the internal circuit, a coin operated circuit controller for conjointly controlling the internal circuit, a solenoid in the internal circuit, a timing member adapted to be at times driven by the motor, a coin chute for passing coins into operative relation with the coin operated circuit controller and a 5 single means operated by the solenoid for initiating movement of thetiming member and for controlling the passage 01' coins through the chute.

7. In a coincontrolled electric time switch, a

constantly running constant speed, motor, a cir- 10 cuit controller movable between two positions, a rotary member for moving the circuit controller, coin controlled means for causing the rotary member to be driven by the motor and for simul-' taneously moving'the circuit controller to a first l5 position, and means operated by the rotary member for moving the circuit controller to a second position after a predetermined time, said rotary member returning to starting position unidirectionally.

8. In combination, an electrical devicev to be controlled having an electric circuit for receiving electric energy, an electric control circuit having switch means including coin controlled switch means embodied therein, a continuously operating chronometrically controlled means powered independently of said switch means for opening the circuit of the electrical device'and closing one of the switch means in the control circuit at the end of a predetermined period ot time, a coin chute 30 capable of receiving a plurality of coins, and means responsive to the closingof said control circuit for releasing the lowermost coin in the chute I and for retaining coins in the chute above the lowermost coin. 9. In combination, an electrical device to be controlled having an electric supply circuit provided with a circuit opening means for controlling the supply of electric energy, a coin chute capable of-receiving a plurality of coins, a movable member having means for releasing the coinsin the chute one at a time, said movable member-being provided with an armature arm, an electric control circuit having an electromagnetic means for attracting the armature arm of said movable member to operate the movable member to release the lowermost coin in the chute, said electric control circuit having coin controlled switch means, a motor and switch means operated thereby for. controlling the energization of the electromagnetic means whereby said electrical device may be operated.

1 RALPH LTWEEDAIE. 

